Improvement in padlocks



3" AUGUST SEEGER.

Improvement in Pad Locks.

Patented Jan. 9, 1872.

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NITED STATES AUGUST SEEGER, OF NEW YORK, n. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PADLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,666, dated January 9, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST SEEGER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Padlocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which drawing-- v Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of my lock in the plane :10 as, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same in the plane y 3 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same in the plane z 2, Fig. 1. Fig. lis a side view of the key. Figs. 5 and 6 are detached plans of two of the tumblers.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the arrangement of a sliding bolt, in combination with a loose or detached shackle, and with a series of tumblers, the bolt' being made to engage with notches in the shackle, and the tumblers with notches in the sliding bolt in such a manner that when the bolt is locked by the tumblers, the shackle cannot be withdrawn and said shackle is retained with the same security whether the bolt is locked by one or more of the tumblers.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the case of my lock, which is provided with two sockets to receive the ends of the shackle B. Between these shackle-receiving sockets is a transverse slot, a, to receive the sliding bolt b, the end of which projects beyond the case A, so that it can be grasped with the fingers for the purpose of moving the bolt in or out. From one or both edges of this bolt project bits 0, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) which, when the latch is pushed into its locking position, engage with notches d in the ends of the shackle, so as to retain said shackle firmly in position within the sockets in the case A. The bolt b is provided with a series of notches, e, (see Fig. 2,) which are intended to engage with tumblers f. These tumblers are placed loosely in a cavity,

g, in the case A, and they are held at the proper distance apart by disks h interposed between them. In Fig. 5 I have shown one of the tumblers, and in Fig. 6 one of the interposed disks. Said disks are prevented from turning round in the cavity 5 by noses 1' projectin g into a groove in the case. (See Fig. 1.) The tumblers f are operated by bits on the key K, said bits being of such form that by inserting the key in the lock and turning it round, all the tumblers are brought in such a position that their notches j (see Fig. 5) are opposite the bolt b, and consequently the bolt is released.

I am aware that padlocks have been made with detached or loose shackles, and with tumblers which engage directly with notches in the shackle. If, in such locks, two out of the three tumblers are turned by some instrument to their unlocking position, so that the shackle is retained only by the one remaining tumbler, it requires but little power to wrench the lock from the shackle; and for this reason locks of this kind have never been considered quite safe.

In my lock the shackle is retained by the bolt 1) always with the same tenacity, and the latch cannot be withdrawn, until all the tumblers are turned to their unlocking position, and it does not afford a hold for any instrument which would allow of drawing out the bolt by main force if the same is retained only by one tumbler. By the simple addition of the sliding bolt, therefore, I have produced a safe padlock with a loose or detached shackle.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The sliding bolt 12, in combination with the detached shackle B, case A, and tumblers f, all constructed and operating substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

This specification signed by me this 17th day of November, 1871.

Witnesses: AUGUST SEEGER.

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

